The ADF rebels attacked Lhubirira Secondary School Friday night in Mpondwe, about 2 km from the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), burning a dormitory.

Among the victims, 17 students were burnt to death, Felix Kulayigye, Uganda's military spokesperson, told Xinhua by phone. "Three students have been rescued. The army is pursuing the rebels to rescue the other six abducted students."

At least eight students who were sent to the hospital remain in critical condition.

The ADF, which is a branch of the Islamic State in Central Africa, is a Ugandan rebel group that is holed up in the jungles of eastern DRC. The rebel group is blamed for causing havoc in villages in eastern DRC.

The Ugandan military and their Congolese counterparts launched joint operations on the rebel group in November 2021.

(With UNI inputs)